Over the weekend, I decided to finally treat myself to a cozy evening with a book. I bought a standard bottle of dry red wine, opened it, had one glass while reading—and that was it; I didn’t feel like having any more. As a result, the rest sat in the fridge for a few days, went flat, and I just had to pour it out.

I really felt bad about wasting the wine and the money I’d spent. So I’m wondering, how do people even taste different varieties if opening a large bottle every time is impractical, and you don’t feel like drinking the same thing for several days in a row? Oh, and I also wanted to ask: does wine lose its flavor and quality when stored in small quantities—since there are various rumors about this—and is it even worth looking for such options in regular supermarkets?

Hi there! I totally get where you’re coming from—I went through the same thing myself until I switched to smaller bottles. For me, that turned out to be the best solution: I’ll have a single glass to set the mood, I don’t overpay, and nothing goes to waste. I was actually reading about mini wine bottles recently; there’s a guy on his blog who talks about his experience in very heartfelt terms. I liked his point that smaller bottles make wine a hobby accessible to everyone and make it easy to build your own “taste map.” You can find these options in supermarkets—though not in all of them—since they’re considered a niche item. Do you generally prefer any specific varieties, or are you just exploring your tastes right now?